Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-03-30
LOOKING FOR 100000
CREDITORS OF RDNIST0N AND WADDELL
DISGRACE AND FLIGHT.
Business Men Meet at the Astor House TO Make Term
and Find the Stock Sold and the Members
Of the Firm Missing Probably
Gone to Canada

New YORK, March GA remarkable
story of business deception, fraud and light,
mingled with a dash of romance, came to
to the surface to-day at meeting Of busl'
ness men held in the Astor House. The
persons present were the creditors OF the
Edufiston & Waddell Manufacturing Com
pany, dealers in agricultural implements
in Brooklyn. They are anxious to know
how they can get at least part of the
$500, ,O0O due them by the firm.
Edmiston & Waddell established them
selves as New York agents for Western
nanufactoIy of mowers in 1877. They
were looked upon as bright business young
men with fair chance Of success. They
had both worked for A. T. Stewart and
both went West together. The settled in
Rockford, ILL.,, where they were employed
together i'll a mandatory Of agricultural
implements. While so employed they
we're introduced into the family of
William McGregor, a prosperous manu-
facturer, who was rated at $50, 900 and
who had two lovely daughters. Shortly
after there was q double wedding at Rock
ford, and the Misses McGregor became
Mrs. Edmiston and Mrs. Waddell. The
two young men returned to New York in
1879, bringing their wives with them. As
agents Tor the manufacturer of mowers
they appeared to he successful and their
orders came in rapidly. In 1885 the Ed
miston and Waddell Manufacturing Com
pany was formed and from that time the
transactions of the concern, as now re-
vealed, appear to have been not above sus-
piciOn.
CIRCULARS To THE CREDITORS.
The first that was known of the tOtter-
iDg condition of the concern was when 4
circular was sent to the creditors. This
paper was dated March ; and set forth
that the company could not carry out an
arrangement for paying extension notes aS
had been intended, and a meeting Of the
creditors was called at No. 80 Broadway
| for to-day. On March - another circular
was sent to the creditors, withdrawing the
call for the meeting to-day and proposing
that Il new company to succeed the old
one be organized.
In explaining this request the circular
stated that strikes in the carriage and har-
ness trade had caused the company TO lose
over |, 800 orders for carriages and 1000
orders for harness. Then followed claims
for damages and freight allowance, Sew
cral failures OF parties to whom the COM
pany shipped largely followed and the
company was therefore compelled To use
| large amounts of accommodation paper.
This would have gone all right had not one
bank demanded immediate settlement,
which resulted in inquiries. When the
creditors received the circular they began
| to investigate and many of them came on
to New York to-day, rs they had been ad-
viscd to do III tn" first circular.
STOCK AND FIRM EOTH GONE.
They met at No. % Broadway and found
| that the stock aud the members of the firm
had gone. They found that EdmistOn <
! Fisher, of Cincinnati, had bought the stock
to. satis+g a claim of $25. coo. This sale
had been made month ago, and it is
claimed that Edmston, Waddell and Miss
! Howard, their confidential clerk, have gone
| To Canada
1t was learned in the hotel that the
wives of Edmiston and Waddell had gone
back to their father in Rockford, ILL.,, who
is now a poor man. 1t was also learned
that the total Indebtedness amounts to
over 500, 900, and that this has nearly all
been incurred during the past two years.
No one believes that the men have gone
without well-lilled pockets.